below the window and the rustle as she climbed up on it.
"Good. No one's about. Get going now, the pair of you."
I had the door half open before her words had sunk in. I shut the door again.
"What do you mean, 'the pair of you'?"
"I'm not coming with you," Granny said, glaring at me. "Get out of here. Hurry."
"What?" I couldn't believe my ears. "Granny, you've got to! They'll kill you in the morning. You've got to escape. This is our only chance!"
She was standing in the obstinate stance I knew too well, her mouth set in a grim line, her arms folded on her chest, her feet planted wide apart as if she was conquering the very ground she stood on.
"It's
your
only chance, Maggie. How can we both get away? There'll be a hue and cry all over the island. They'll not leave one stone unturned. Where could we hide? Who would help us? But if you cut your hair and Tam gets you some breeks in place of your skirts, you could maybe get off the island on a fishing boat, orâ"
"Get away with you, you old fool," said Tam, tugging at her arm. "Do you think I've gone to all the trouble of pouring good whiskey down that idiot Donnie's throat for nothing?"
"Not for nothing! For Maggie!"
She had seized his arm in turn and was shaking him.
"Listen, Tam. I'm right. You know I am. Maggie can get away. You can think of how to do it. It's me they really hate. I'm the one they want. And you know what? I don't care anymore. I'm an old woman. My hips hurt. It's a quick death on the gallows. I'm not afraid of dying. Heaven or Hell, God will judge me. And I'll have the satisfaction of knowing they've all damned themselves for condemning me. All I wantâ
all
I wantâis for Maggie to live! Do you hear me? Maggie must live!"
Outside there was a burst of noise from the tavern as someone opened the door. It died away as the door was closed again.
"For God's sake, Tam, will you get her away from here before it's too late!"
She let go of Tam, who stood nursing his bruised arm, an aggrieved look on his face.
"You were always an awkward old cuss, Elspeth Wylie," he said, sounding like a sulky child. "I thought you'd be grateful."
"Oh, Tam!" Her anger dropped off her like a cloak. "If you only knew! And I'd be even more grateful if you'd just get going and take her to safety."
I'm ashamed to say that I was so desperate to get out of that awful tolbooth that I didn't try to make Granny change her mind. In any case, I knew, in my heart of hearts, that she was right. Tam knew it too.
"I'll not see you again then, this side of death," he said, tears in his voice.
She ignored him and fixed me with an urgent look.
"Go to Kilmacolm, Maggie. Go to your uncle Blair's home there. It's called Ladymuir. You heard your father speak of it. Hugh Blair is your father's brotherâwho else should care for you?"
"I don't know how to get there!" I could hear my voice rising in a wail. "I don't know where it is! How am I going to manage on my own?"
"Stop all that
I can't, I don't,
" she snapped. "Feebleness, Maggie. Your great fault. Learn to master it. Anyway, I've shown you often enough. You know the peak of Misty Law you can see from Rothesay Bay, over on the mainland to the east? Kilmacolm's right to the other side of it. Now get going. Get
on!
"
"Oh, Granny!"
I ran to her and hugged her. I couldn't help myself. Granny had never been one for love and affection, and I'd hardly ever dared do such a thing before. As usual, she pushed me away. And then I felt her hand on my head. It was trembling. And she said, "I've not done much for you, Maggie, but I'll give you all I've got. My blessing." And she shut her eyes and intoned, in the voice she used for spells, "I
will put an enchantment on the eye, from the bosom of Peter and Paul. The one best enchantment under the sun that will come from Heaven to earth.
" Then, in her ordinary voice, she said, "Is that bread and cheese that drunken fool's lying on top of? Give it to me before you go. The sides of
"Good. No one's about. Get going now, the pair of you."
I had the door half open before her words had sunk in. I shut the door again.
"What do you mean, 'the pair of you'?"
"I'm not coming with you," Granny said, glaring at me. "Get out of here. Hurry."
"What?" I couldn't believe my ears. "Granny, you've got to! They'll kill you in the morning. You've got to escape. This is our only chance!"
She was standing in the obstinate stance I knew too well, her mouth set in a grim line, her arms folded on her chest, her feet planted wide apart as if she was conquering the very ground she stood on.
"It's
your
only chance, Maggie. How can we both get away? There'll be a hue and cry all over the island. They'll not leave one stone unturned. Where could we hide? Who would help us? But if you cut your hair and Tam gets you some breeks in place of your skirts, you could maybe get off the island on a fishing boat, orâ"
"Get away with you, you old fool," said Tam, tugging at her arm. "Do you think I've gone to all the trouble of pouring good whiskey down that idiot Donnie's throat for nothing?"
"Not for nothing! For Maggie!"
She had seized his arm in turn and was shaking him.
"Listen, Tam. I'm right. You know I am. Maggie can get away. You can think of how to do it. It's me they really hate. I'm the one they want. And you know what? I don't care anymore. I'm an old woman. My hips hurt. It's a quick death on the gallows. I'm not afraid of dying. Heaven or Hell, God will judge me. And I'll have the satisfaction of knowing they've all damned themselves for condemning me. All I wantâ
all
I wantâis for Maggie to live! Do you hear me? Maggie must live!"
Outside there was a burst of noise from the tavern as someone opened the door. It died away as the door was closed again.
"For God's sake, Tam, will you get her away from here before it's too late!"
She let go of Tam, who stood nursing his bruised arm, an aggrieved look on his face.
"You were always an awkward old cuss, Elspeth Wylie," he said, sounding like a sulky child. "I thought you'd be grateful."
"Oh, Tam!" Her anger dropped off her like a cloak. "If you only knew! And I'd be even more grateful if you'd just get going and take her to safety."
I'm ashamed to say that I was so desperate to get out of that awful tolbooth that I didn't try to make Granny change her mind. In any case, I knew, in my heart of hearts, that she was right. Tam knew it too.
"I'll not see you again then, this side of death," he said, tears in his voice.
She ignored him and fixed me with an urgent look.
"Go to Kilmacolm, Maggie. Go to your uncle Blair's home there. It's called Ladymuir. You heard your father speak of it. Hugh Blair is your father's brotherâwho else should care for you?"
"I don't know how to get there!" I could hear my voice rising in a wail. "I don't know where it is! How am I going to manage on my own?"
"Stop all that
I can't, I don't,
" she snapped. "Feebleness, Maggie. Your great fault. Learn to master it. Anyway, I've shown you often enough. You know the peak of Misty Law you can see from Rothesay Bay, over on the mainland to the east? Kilmacolm's right to the other side of it. Now get going. Get
on!
"
"Oh, Granny!"
I ran to her and hugged her. I couldn't help myself. Granny had never been one for love and affection, and I'd hardly ever dared do such a thing before. As usual, she pushed me away. And then I felt her hand on my head. It was trembling. And she said, "I've not done much for you, Maggie, but I'll give you all I've got. My blessing." And she shut her eyes and intoned, in the voice she used for spells, "I
will put an enchantment on the eye, from the bosom of Peter and Paul. The one best enchantment under the sun that will come from Heaven to earth.
" Then, in her ordinary voice, she said, "Is that bread and cheese that drunken fool's lying on top of? Give it to me before you go. The sides of
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